The lockdown may be extended in the red zones of Mumbai and Pune after May 3 amid the rising number of coronavirus cases. "I want to make it clear that we cannot lift the lockdown from red zones, like Mumbai-Pune belt, parts of Nagpur and some other places," Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday in a webcast to mark Maharashtra Day. The economic activities may begin in orange and green zones but not in red zones of Mumbai and Pune, Uddhav Thackeray also said.

Uddhav Thackeray also said that the lockdown restrictions would be relaxed cautiously across the state in a zone-wise manner. "We will tread cautiously. It is in nobody's Interest to lift the lockdown in the (COVID-19) red zones like Mumbai, Pune region, Nagpur and Aurangabad where the number of positive cases is on the rise," he also said.

Adding, Uddhav Thackeray said that more cases had been uncovered in the state due to aggressive testing. Maharashtra has the largest number of coronavirus cases among all states in the country. The state has reported over 10,000 cases so far. Over 7,000 positive cases have been recorded in Mumbai. Maharashtra also has one of highest number of red zones across the country at 14. All the suburban areas of Mumbai have been classified as red zones by the government.

Meanwhile, India recorded 1,993 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the highest 1-day jump, taking the total tally of confirmed cases to 35,043 on Friday, according to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry. These cases include 25,007 active cases, 8,888 cured or discharged, 1 migrated and 1,147 deaths.